Americans never ‘break character’ at work. Maybe we should start.I was watching Borat 2 (no spoilers!) and it made me reflect on a strange cultural quirk about the US. Essentially, we hold on to the…Oct 24, 20203Oct 24, 20203
In the internet-age, don’t argue like Socrates.How do you persuade someone that your point of view is right? For the last 3000 years, Western philosophy has had the same basic answer…Oct 11, 2018181Oct 11, 2018181
When Democracy itself fails, and one possible solutionThere are times when fairly-elected democratic governments will act against the will of the people who elected them.Aug 19, 201861Aug 19, 201861
The masterful misdirection of the GMO debateThis seems like a vague memory now, but I remember talking about GMOs in ethics class back in the early 2000s.Jun 3, 201823Jun 3, 201823
Universal Income could help markets self-regulate betterOne of the most-cited benefits of of ‘free-market’ capitalism is that it creates better value for consumers through darwinistic…Jan 15, 2018Jan 15, 2018
Meditation on the American LoserTeenagers throughout history have spent most of their time trying to map out their social world and their standing in it. They’ll notice…Jan 12, 2018311Jan 12, 2018311
Things you can’t say in Silicon Valley (non-political version)The other day, I saw a post titled “Things you can’t say in Silicon Valley” (link omitted). I was looking forward to one of those “it’s…Dec 18, 20177033Dec 18, 20177033
Published inDon't Panic, Just Hire“Will you work late?” — How to respond honestlyJob interviews are the worst, especially with the strange lies people are forced to tell each other. I’ve written before on what happens if…Apr 17, 20178Apr 17, 20178
Published inART + marketingThe empty comment box — dealing with the scourgeIt’s 2017 and I still see this guy everywhere I look:Apr 3, 20172Apr 3, 20172
Published inAthena TalksSilicon valley “bro” culture — what else could it be?I just read a Times article about the “bro” culture in Silicon valley. Basically, it’s the idea that many startups are run, and feel, a bit…Apr 3, 201714Apr 3, 201714
Dear Facebook: Just let third-party developers tweak the newsfeedI keep reading about Facebook getting blamed for fake news trending in people’s newsfeeds, especially after it fired its human curators.Nov 14, 2016Nov 14, 2016
Published inExtra NewsfeedLet’s Big-Data-away intoleranceDisclaimer: yes, this is US Election relatedNov 10, 20161Nov 10, 20161
We’re educated, not entitledTo anyone who lived through the 1970s and 1980s in the United States, I’m very sorry, but we need to get the ideas you grew up with out of…Sep 3, 2015Sep 3, 2015
Wikimedia Foundation — Back to its rootsBack when there were about a dozen of us at the Wikimedia Foundation, there were tons of blogs and articles about how Wikipedia “got…May 13, 20151May 13, 20151
